


Summer Slide

by SanSese



Category: Romeo And Juliet - All Media Types
Genre: Blame Romeo, Crack, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-12
Updated: 2019-02-12
Packaged: 2019-10-26 23:47:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17755835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SanSese/pseuds/SanSese
Summary: Mercutio is a life guard during the summer, surveying the local swimming pool and little recreational park together with Tybalt. A loud scream on a warm summer day will change his life forever...





	Summer Slide

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LoveIsTheKeyword](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveIsTheKeyword/gifts).



> Happy birthday Aurore ♥

Mercutio was surveying his zone, arms crossed on his chest, sunglasses perched on his nose. The sun was high in the sky, illuminating the recreational park and pushing people to jump in the cool water. It was almost noon, and no incidents to be reported. That didn't happen often, and Mercutio was bored. Of course, he preferred there to be no emergencies, but after standing for hours and turning his neck left and right and occasionally shouting at rowdy kids, he wished Tybalt could come one hour early and relieve him from his shift. Yawning, he applied some more sunscreen on his arms and stretched them behind his back, feeling the muscles contract and screaming in agony. He really needed to hit the gym again, it was getting embarrassing. His stomach was growling, begging him to eat more than the banana he had for breakfast. Just one hour, he could do this. 

30 minutes later, Tybalt appeared, like an angel sent from heaven, tossing him a bag of food.

"You have my eternal gratitude, Tybbs."

Tybalt snorted, uncapping his water bottle.

"Isn't that something. Don't get used to it, I could hear you starving from the other side of the city."

Mercutio shrugged, devouring the sandwich, while still keeping an eye out for any problems. The second he had finished his meal, a scream resounded through the air, making everyone's heads turn to the source of it. Tybalt looked at Mercutio.

"Still your shift, 10 minutes to go."

Mercutio shook his head and sprinted to the giant waterslide where the scream seemed to provide from. Several people pointed towards the tube. The black slide was strictly reserved for kids, so Mercutio looked around the little pool for the parent that had screamed, but no one came to him. As he climbed the stairs, he saw a little boy waiting at the top, seemingly talking to himself. Mercutio crouched, smiling at the kid.

"Hey buddy, everything ok?"

The boy nodded.

"I'm ok, but uncle Benny is stuck."

Mercutio frowned. Then the kid started talking to the tube again.

"Benny, a mister is here."

What? Mercutio leaned in carefully, noticing a hand and a mop of dark hair in the dark slide.

"Sir? Sir! Can you hear me?"

He turned back to the kid, his face the picture perfect of incredulity. A weak voice responded.

"Help me please! I'm stuck!"

The little boy looked at Mercutio, eyes wide.

"My uncle needs help, you can help mister?"

Mercutio nodded distractedly, already thinking of a plan. But first, he needed to put the child in safety. He took the boy's hand and hoisted him in arms.

"We'll get your uncle out of the slide, buddy. But first I need you to come with me, alright?"

He peered into the tube again.

"Can you move something? Are you hurt?"

The hand wiggled around.

"I can only move my hand. Don't think I broke something."

"Good, I help your nephew downstairs and I'll come back!"

He thought he heard a mumbled "not going anywhere" as he descended, the little boy beginning to sniffle. Once on the ground he found Tybalt waiting for him. He handed the boy to him.

"Here, his uncle is stuck on the slide, watch him for me will you."

Tybalt whistled.

"What was he doing anyway? Adults are forbidden to go on it."

The boy was crying louder now. Mercutio had a feeling on why that man was stuck in the slide, but gave a reassuring smile to the boy and climbed up the stairs again.

"Ok, I'm back. I'm Mercutio, the life guard. I will take your hand and try to pull you up. If that doesn't work I'll call the emergency number, how's that sound?"

The man made a thumb's up.

"It's getting warm."

The tube was black, and with the unforgiving summer sun, the plastic was almost too hot to touch. Mercutio stretched his hand out to grasp the man's hand, the other gripping on the railing of the stairs. He began to pull, hearing the man grunting as he tried to push with his other limbs. He didn't budge an inch. Mercutio let the hand go before wrenching the shoulder out of its socket. 

"I'm calling the ambulance ok?"

Mercutio composed the number, and after a minute of trying to explain the situation, he hung up. He sat in front of the tube, clasping the man's hand again in his.

"They're coming. I'll stay right here with you, man."

He felt the man squeezing his hand in gratitude.

"It was your nephew, I suppose?"

The man sighed, and Mercutio knew he was rolling his eyes.

"Yes, Romeo. I was waiting for him in the pool, but he wasn't coming down. I was panicking so I went up and looked in the tube. Guess I went too far and tumbled in. Little bugger had been hiding the entire time."

Mercutio suppressed a laugh. He began tracing soothing circles with his thumb on the man's palm.

"I have some interesting stories to tell man, you won't believe them..."

*

It took half an hour for the rescue team to arrive. After some sawing and cutting the tube open, Benvolio had been extracted from the slide, slightly dehydrated and hurting all over. It took another 30 minutes to be sure Benvolio was doing ok before the ambulance left, leaving enough water bottles for the whole park. Mercutio sat next to Benvolio, handing him another bottle. Benvolio shot him a grateful look.

"Thank you, really."

Mercutio shrugged, feeling his cheeks heating up, and not from the sun.

"Just doing my job you know."

Benvolio smiled shyly, eyes sparkling under his dark hair that had fell over.

"You didn't have to stay and talk to me for so long, but you did anyway, so thanks again."

Mercutio smiled in return. He felt like their conversation in the slide had lasted a lifetime, for he knew so much about the other man. Even without seeing his face, Mercutio had known Benvolio was beautiful person, in and out. He wanted to say as much, but Tybalt appeared around the corner, Romeo on his shoulders.

"There you are! This little guy here wants to see his uncle."

Tybalt put Romeo down, a knowing smirk on his face as he looked at Mercutio. Benvolio scooped Romeo up, hugging the boy tightly.

"Hey hey, I don't blame you, ok? Everything is ok. Thanks to mister here."

Romeo climbed on Mercutio's lap, hugging him too.

"Thank you mister."

Mercutio ruffled the boy's hair. Romeo turned his head towards Benvolio, grinning.

"Benny, you said we would have ice cream! Can we go now?"

Benvolio got up.

"Sure, let's go!" 

He took Romeo by the hand, waiting for something. Mercutio looked around frowning. He saw Tybalt rolling his eyes.

"Mercutio, would you like to come? As a proper thank you."

Before he could stammer an answer, Tybalt pushed him towards the uncle and nephew.

"It's my shift now, so have fun!"

Tybalt watched his friend go with the other two, shaking his head. Something told him he would be seeing Benvolio and little Romeo a lot more during the summer.

**Author's Note:**

> Cheesy af, but we're all here for it. Thanks for reading!


End file.
